Ride or Die Beauty Tag

The Ride or Die tag was created by YouTube Guru, Jaclyn Hill in 2016. The premise of this tag is to choose your ride or die beauty product within each of the below categories. I enjoy reading beauty tags, so you’re interested in hearing about some of my most loved beauty items then please keep reading!

Primer

I don’t have a favorite! I’ve tried so many primers over the year that no particular primer really stands out as a clear winner.

Foundation

The best way to describe the Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation is that it is “my skin but better.” The coverage of this foundation is light but can be built up to a solid medium. Freckles and discoloration will still peak through, but my face looks more even-toned overall.

The Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation has a matte finish but is not overly drying. The finish is great for those with oily skin since it does not break apart from facial oils. However, due to the liquidity of the formula, it does seep into fine lines and wrinkles, so individuals with aged skin may not enjoy this foundation.

Price: $40.00 USD

Concealer

I love the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer because it provides solid medium coverage without settling into fine lines or wrinkles. The concealer plays well with other face products and is easy to apply.

The biggest issue with this concealer is sponge tip applicator. The sponge tip is the best method to apply, but the applicator cannot be washed. Therefore, after several weeks of use, I am forced to remove the sponge applicator otherwise I’ll suffer from a breakout.

Additionally, the concealer has a very limited shade range, so individuals with very fair or dark skin may have a hard time finding a shade that works. Maybelline has been working to add more shades to the line, but the range is still quite limited. Hopefully, Maybelline will continue to work on diversifying this product.

Face Powder

The Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is loved by so many bloggers and beauty enthusiasts for good reason. The translucent powder sets makeup without drying out the face or caking up. This product comes in two colors – translucent and translucent medium deep.

Price: $38.00 USD

Under Eye Setting Powder

The Secret Brightening Powder by Laura Mercier is a great under-eye setting powder. It makes the under-eye area look lighter and brighter, while simultaneously setting the area. Prior to using this product, I used the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. Although the Hourglass powder beautifully sets the under-eye area and adds brightness, it causes serious flashback.

Price: $28.00 USD

Bronzer

The Butter Bronzer is a great year-round matte bronzer that blends like butter on the skin. The tone is warm without being overly orange, red, or golden. Anyone with pale skin is likely to enjoy this bronzer since the pigmentation builds effortlessly. However, like all Physicians Formula products, the Butter Bronzer is expensive, so look for deals when purchasing this item. The Butter Bronzer comes in four shade variations to accommodate varying undertones.

Price: $14.99 USD

Blush

Warm Soul was a pivotal product in my collection because it was the first high-end blush that I owned. In many ways, this blush taught me to experiment with different finishes and hues. Prior to owning this blush, I mainly wore light, matte drugstore brushes.

Warm Soul a shimmery beige blush with gold undertones. The slight golden finish spices up an otherwise basic color. In terms of pigmentation, the blush is light enough to be used as a topper but can be easily built up when worn as a standalone blush.

Price: $29.00

*Honorable mention: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty ($29.00 USD). This is a beautiful nudie-pink blush that provides a light wash of color to the cheeks. The blush has a radiant finish but is not shimmery. Also, this blush is easily buildable. I received this blush as a part of the Sephora birthday gift last year. Given it’s newness to my collection, I couldn’t quite call it a ride-or-die yet.

Highlight

The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer was an amazing find last summer because this is one of the most natural, glossy highlighters I have ever used. I am not a fan of the heavy metalized highlighters popular on YouTube and Instagram because the glow often looks to blinding. Instead, I prefer highlighters that make the skin look dewy or glasslike.

The only con to this product is that you cannot set your face with powder where the highlight has been applied because it will mattify the product, canceling out the highlight.

PSA: During warm weather, this highlighter may get more liquid-like in texture; therefore, I am unsure how this product will hold up since the temperature could cause the product to go bad quicker than expected.

Price: $38.00 USD

False Eyelashes

I don’t wear false lashes! 🙂

Mascara

Honestly, I wanted to hate this mascara when I received a free sample in my Sephora Play box a few years ago, but I love it. I have never received more compliments on my lashes from friends, family, and coworkers than when I started using this mascara. The Diorshow Iconic Overcurl adds volume and curl without being clumpy. Although not a promise of the mascara, I find that the result makes my lashes look lifted and longer too.

One thing to note is that this mascara is not waterproof. In fact, the mascara smudges easily if made wet through sweating, crying, rain, etc. Anyone using this mascara should set their face makeup with a setting spray before mascara application, otherwise, the product will smudge.

Eyeshadow Palette

The ABH Master by Mario was a breakout hit from 2016. This twelve-pan, neutral palette uses earthy toned colors in an effortlessly wearable way. The colors transform the eye, easily lending themselves for natural, grunge, or glamorous looks.

Like other ABH shadows, the colors are highly pigmented and blend with ease. The formula is soft and powdery, thus, the palette produces a lot of kickback. However, I don’t find the kickback a deterrent given how easily the shadows blend across the eye.

The only duds in the palette are Bronx and Claudia – the shimmery green and navy colors. These colors are definitely patchier than the other shades. Without a doubt, Claudia is the worst color in the palette in terms of pigmentation and ease of application; however, the actual color itself makes blue seem like another wearable neutral.

Price: $42.00 USD

Lipstick

To quote Drew Barrymore in Ever After, “I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens.” In her case, she was referring to picking a favorite book, but lipsticks can provide that same level of joy, right? 🙂

Given that I couldn’t pick just one lipstick – I’ll narrow it down to two favorites. In general, my three favorite formulas are from NARS, Smashbox, and Urban Decay. Ultimately, Smashbox’s Be Legendary Satin Lipstick in Cognac is what got me into wearing lipstick, so this color and formula hold great sentimental value.

The Urban Decay lipsticks are newer to my collection – having purchased them in 2017, but I do love this brand, too. Liar is my go-to nude pink color. Like Cognac, this formula has a creamy finish. However, this color doesn’t have the same sheen of the Be Legendary Satin formula.

Smashbox Price: $21.00 USD

UD Price: $18.00 USD

Liquid Lip

I’m not too fond of liquid lipstick, but Pure Hollywood was my go-to for several years. I don’t find the formula particularly drying, but the products have an awful chemical smell that only worsens with time. Furthermore, these do not last very long after the expiration date. You’ll know yours has gone bad because it will develop a repugnant chemical odor.

Price: $20.00 USD

Lipgloss

While I love lipgloss, I do not currently have a favorite brand.

Setting Spray

Again, I could not pick just one setting spray because these two particular sprays serve very different functions. The Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Setting Spray is my holy grail setting spray for extending the life of my makeup on my oily skin. In fact, when I use this setting spray, I don’t need to set my face with a powder.

However, the M.A.C. Fix Plus, is my go-to spray for adding “life” back to my face when applying powder products over matte foundations. This spray will not increase the longevity of my makeup, but it beautifully sets my face. Products melt together in a natural, seamless fashion using this product, so if you’re prone to cakey makeup, then this is worth trying. Personally, I am curious to try the new matte formula.

UD Price: $32.00 USD

M.A.C. Price: $26.00 USD

Perfume

I can’t explain why I like this scent, but I just do. I own Marc Jacobs’ Honey and Dot, too, but Daisy is my favorite smell. The packaging is so beautiful that I will keep the bottle once I finish the fragrance. I bought the bottle on sale, so I am unsure if I would pay full price for this in the future.

Price: $102.00 USD

BONUS:

Brow

I’ve been purchasing Benefit Brow pencils for years – long before they were reformulated. The formula of the Goof Proof pencil is stiff and applies with ease for fuller, more natural looking brows. For the most natural application, I recommend combing a spoolie through your brows after filling in the brows. Also, I am genuinely surprised at how long this product has lasted. (I’ve been using my current pencil for over a year and I am struggling to finish this item.)

Price: $24.00 USD

Makeup Remover

If I had enough money, I would buy the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil exclusively because the gentle formula does a great job at removing makeup without irritating or drying out the skin. The formula makes the makeup glide off without forcing me to tug on the skin.

Price: $32.00 USD

…

I wanted to participate in this tag because I’ve seen so many of my favorite YouTubers partake in this over the years. As always, challenges like these force me to take a hard look at my collection. Analyzing my collection and my favorites is helpful for me as I continue on my minimalism journey.

Within this challenge, some categories were extremely hard to decipher a clear winner (such as mascara and lipstick), while the choice was obvious for others. This tells me that, I may want to reduce my spending (and hoarding) within categories where there was an obvious winner. Having some variety is great, but there are specific products that I rely on more than others. Knowing what I gravitate towards should help me to make smarter choices in the future.